Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benoni and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,072 in Benoni, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Benoni
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Benoni Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Benoni

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,072

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benoni and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Benoni and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,072 in Benoni versus $918 in Cebu.

Benoni $1,072
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Benoni versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Benoni $1,331
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,589 in Benoni versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Benoni $1,589
Cebu $1,900

Living in Benoni is roughly 17% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Benoni 21% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 R 168

$3.09 ₱194

229.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.46 R 617

$24.22 ₱1,525

54.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 R 96.5

$3.92 ₱247

49.49%

Cappuccino

$2.22 R 36.61

$2.51 ₱158

-11.55%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.64

$1.59 ₱100

-25.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R 14.00

$0.53 ₱33.43

60.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 R 38.33

$1.78 ₱112

30.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R 45.15

$2.17 ₱137

26.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.16

$1.92 ₱121

-36.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.65

$1.36 ₱85.4

-16.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.33

$1.01 ₱63.5

70.30%

Eggs

$2.46 R 40.48

$2.03 ₱128

21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 R 137

$9.86 ₱621

-15.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 R 80.1

$4.39 ₱277

10.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 R 117

$7.60 ₱479

-6.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.55

$3.30 ₱208

-47.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.81

$1.39 ₱87.8

17.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.58

$2.33 ₱147

-22.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.70

$1.50 ₱94.3

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.39

$2.36 ₱149

-52.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.10

$1.90 ₱119

-35.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.29

$1.19 ₱74.9

3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.97

$0.63 ₱39.71

101.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 R 55.5

$3.00 ₱189

12.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.09 R 83.8

$6.03 ₱379

-15.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.94

$1.23 ₱77.7

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R 32.14

$1.75 ₱110

11.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.72

$0.77 ₱48.62

-62.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.67

$0.23 ₱14.53

286.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.73 R 243

$4.46 ₱281

230.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.41

$1.31 ₱82.8

17.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.1K R 578.8K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

65.37%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.5K R 534.9K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

69.59%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$203 R 3,342

$120 ₱7,569

68.73%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$38.42 R 633

$14.00 ₱882

174.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.63 R 604

$27.54 ₱1,734

33.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.06 R 297

$32.33 ₱2,035

-44.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 R 117

$5.65 ₱356

25.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$246 R 4,051

$275 ₱17.3K

-10.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,577 R 91.9K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-29.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 R 882

$49.33 ₱3,106

8.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.40 R 534

$25.24 ₱1,589

28.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 R 1,515

$77.0 ₱4,846

19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 R 1,397

$57.2 ₱3,601

48.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,557

$500 ₱31.5K

-20.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 R 4,881

$309 ₱19.4K

-4.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 R 8,029

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-54.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,041 R 33.6K

$346 ₱21.8K

490.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

7.2

51.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Benoni: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Benoni

$296 27.6%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 4.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benoni

$278 25.9%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 41.8% $116

Groceries & Markets

Benoni

$192 17.9%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 7.3% $14

Eating Out

Benoni

$151 14.1%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 41.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Benoni

$118 11%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 20.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Benoni

$32 3%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 35.2% $11

Getting Around

Benoni

$4.7 * 0.4%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 229% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Benoni and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 490% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $37.00 in Benoni vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $206, with Benoni cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Benoni

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

16:16 4:16 PM

6 h ahead of Benoni

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,777

964,169

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Benoni Cebu 11,060 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Benoni
Cebu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Benoni vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benoni and Cebu differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,072 vs $918 including rent). Cebu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 490% higher in Benoni, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $398 in Benoni versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Benoni pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,072 per month in Benoni versus $918 in Cebu – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Benoni and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Benoni. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.